Cisco Cisco IPICS Release 1.0 Information Guide
Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS)
Case Study
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Cisco can also contact SAS and personnel via Internet-connected PCs if
they are not near a phone or carrying a mobile radio or cell or phone.
“Now our emergency workers can connect to each other at any time and
at any location using whatever communications network they have at
hand. Cisco is just starting to explore the power and convenience of these
new capabilities," says Lawrence Ingraham, Cisco Safety and Security
Manager.
they are not near a phone or carrying a mobile radio or cell or phone.
“Now our emergency workers can connect to each other at any time and
at any location using whatever communications network they have at
hand. Cisco is just starting to explore the power and convenience of these
new capabilities," says Lawrence Ingraham, Cisco Safety and Security
Manager.
Secure Communications from any Device: IP Enabling Land Mobile
Radios
Radio devices typically cannot communicate with each other unless they
operate on the same frequency and mode: conventional, logic-trunked
(LTR), digital, or other. Initially at Cisco, radios supported on-campus
mobility but did not allow security personnel to communicate directly with
people outside their immediate facility. For example, if there were a break-
in on one campus, SFOC at another campus would have to attempt to
reach security officers via landline, cell phone, or pagers. Poor reception,
lack of wire line connectivity, and per-minute billing for cell phones made
these solutions impractical, expensive, or both. Lack of voice
interoperability also impeded medical response and prevented Cisco
managers and executives away from campus from using landline or cell
phones to talk to radio-equipped security officers at the scene of an
emergency.
operate on the same frequency and mode: conventional, logic-trunked
(LTR), digital, or other. Initially at Cisco, radios supported on-campus
mobility but did not allow security personnel to communicate directly with
people outside their immediate facility. For example, if there were a break-
in on one campus, SFOC at another campus would have to attempt to
reach security officers via landline, cell phone, or pagers. Poor reception,
lack of wire line connectivity, and per-minute billing for cell phones made
these solutions impractical, expensive, or both. Lack of voice
interoperability also impeded medical response and prevented Cisco
managers and executives away from campus from using landline or cell
phones to talk to radio-equipped security officers at the scene of an
emergency.
Cisco solved its radio interoperability challenge through an LMR-over-
Internet Protocol (IP) solution that uses the company’s multicast-enabled
IP network. A combination of technologies enables security staff and
management to participate in talk groups from any location on radio,
landline phone, wired or wireless Cisco IP phone, or a PC or laptop with
Cisco IPICS Push to Talk Management Center (PMC) radio-emulation
client software.
Internet Protocol (IP) solution that uses the company’s multicast-enabled
IP network. A combination of technologies enables security staff and
management to participate in talk groups from any location on radio,
landline phone, wired or wireless Cisco IP phone, or a PC or laptop with
Cisco IPICS Push to Talk Management Center (PMC) radio-emulation
client software.
In this solution, a rooftop antenna receives a mobile or handheld radio
signal and converts it to analog output. This analog signal is routed to an
LMR-enabled router with a voice interface card, which converts the signal
signal and converts it to analog output. This analog signal is routed to an
LMR-enabled router with a voice interface card, which converts the signal
to voice over IP (VoIP). The Cisco LMR Gateway software, which runs on any Cisco router that accommodates voice
interface cards, provides additional capabilities for Push to Talk (PTT) radio communications such as managing tone-
controlled radios—smoothing out audio level fluctuation and dealing with jammed PTT buttons on the radios. This
software uses a Windows PC-based administration server to manage talk groups. A media software server enables a
dispatcher to conference dissimilar radio systems. A small PC client running PMC software can emulate a PTT radio,
avoiding the need to purchase additional radios for employees with laptops or PCs.
interface cards, provides additional capabilities for Push to Talk (PTT) radio communications such as managing tone-
controlled radios—smoothing out audio level fluctuation and dealing with jammed PTT buttons on the radios. This
software uses a Windows PC-based administration server to manage talk groups. A media software server enables a
dispatcher to conference dissimilar radio systems. A small PC client running PMC software can emulate a PTT radio,
avoiding the need to purchase additional radios for employees with laptops or PCs.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
●
Cisco campus in San Jose reaches
up to 20,000 people per day.
up to 20,000 people per day.
●
Cisco Safety and Security (SAS) and
Cisco Emergency Response Team
(ERT) are first responders to medical,
fire, and hazardous materials
incidents
Cisco Emergency Response Team
(ERT) are first responders to medical,
fire, and hazardous materials
incidents
●
The Cisco ERT in San Jose
experiences at least 150 incidents a
year, nearly 40 of them life
threatening.
experiences at least 150 incidents a
year, nearly 40 of them life
threatening.
CHALLENGE
●
Manage on-premise emergency
response and day-to-day safety and
security operations
response and day-to-day safety and
security operations
●
Enable location-independent dispatch
and collaboration across security
operations centers
and collaboration across security
operations centers
●
Reduce costs of maintaining
dedicated leased lines to Cisco sites
for radio communications.
dedicated leased lines to Cisco sites
for radio communications.
SOLUTION
Deployed Cisco IPICS solutions
RESULTS
●
More rapid response to emergencies.
●
Reduced costs of maintaining radio
infrastructure.
infrastructure.
●
Better situational awareness from
responders, management, and key
executives during crisis situations.
responders, management, and key
executives during crisis situations.
NEXT STEPS
●
Implement IPICS at remaining
theater-based dispatch centers in
Asia and Europe.
theater-based dispatch centers in
Asia and Europe.
●
Open an IPICS-enabled SFOC in
Bangalore.
Bangalore.
●
Reduce response delays through
ERT listen-only solution.
ERT listen-only solution.
●
Benefit from improved notification
through IPICS 2.1.
through IPICS 2.1.
LMR-over-IP enables significant emergency response flexibility at Cisco. IPICS has taken its capabilities a critical
step further by making it possible to transparently integrate enterprise communications with radio networks. Through
its ability to connect LMR/RMS (Land Mobile Radio/Radio Mobile Systems) gateways throughout the United States
with Cisco dispatch centers, PMC users, and a variety of communications equipment, IPICS has enabled LMR
technology to remain a critical part of the emergency system at Cisco.
step further by making it possible to transparently integrate enterprise communications with radio networks. Through
its ability to connect LMR/RMS (Land Mobile Radio/Radio Mobile Systems) gateways throughout the United States
with Cisco dispatch centers, PMC users, and a variety of communications equipment, IPICS has enabled LMR
technology to remain a critical part of the emergency system at Cisco.